Doom VFR
Doom 64 pops up in an age-rating listing for PC and PS4Jul 27, 2019 - EurogamerAh, Doom 64. In the absence of a PC, my console-fuelled video game childhood was left with Doom 64. But, improbably, Doom 64 was great. This 1997 Nintendo 64-exclusive Doom game was not a port of the original Doom, or any of the other Doom games. Nor was it meant to be the 64th Doom game (although by this point will it be?). Rather, it was a sequel developed by Midway that took place after Doom 2. I remember Doom 64 looking fantastic to my teenage eyes, and the music was properly atmospheric. You spent a lot of time shooting demons, of course, but there was a real horror feel to the game. It felt like Doom 64 was as good as Doom could get on Nintendo's console and, as someone who hadn't played Doom before, it also felt fresh. Read more Have You Played Doom VFR?Dec 12, 2018 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunHave You Played? is an endless stream of game retrospectives. One a day, every day, perhaps for all time. As one of the few people who have enough room for a VR setup in their own home, it seems like madness that Bethesda supported the format as much as they did. While other efforts were ports of existing games, retrofitted to have HTC Vive support, Doom VFR was the only one of the three games to be specifically designed with VR in mind. It’s also one that required your room to be of a certain size. (more…) Cybershoes err Cybershoes let me run around in Doom VFR from the comfort of a wheelie chairSep 7, 2018 - Rock, Paper, Shotgun VR treadmills are possibly one of the daftest things on the planet. Yes, they sort of avoid that classic virtual reality hazard of tripping over headset cables and falling flat on your face, offering a way for TRUE VR immersion seekers to feel like they’re really ‘in the game’, so to speak, but a) they’re crazy expensive, b) take up mountains of room, and c) you still look like an utter numpty running about on a treadmill with a pair of VR goggles strapped to your forehead. Cybershoes’ eponymous VR sandals, on the other hand, will still make you look like a bit of a numpty, but at least these let you run around virtual environments from the comfort of your own spinny chair, and are set to cost a heck of a lost less than their big, bulky rivals when they eventually launch in early 2019. Here’s how I got on after trying out a pair for myself at Gamescom last month. (more…) Oh hell, Bethesda just announced Doom EternalJun 10, 2018 - EurogamerOh hell, Bethesda just announced Doom Eternal, a sequel to the wonderful Doom reboot from 2016! A teaser trailer showed hell on Earth - a post-apocalyptic nightmare - and culminated with the Doom Slayer stepping into view. The full Doom Eternal reveal will happen at QuakeCon in August. Read more… A new Doom movie is in the worksApr 23, 2018 - Eurogamer13 years after Dwayne Johnson starred in Doom, a new movie based on id Software's famous first-person shooter is in the works. But unlike The Rock's Doom, this new Doom probably won't come out in the cinema. Instead, it'll likely head straight to online, possibly even as a Netflix Original. NBC/Universal confirmed to Variety the new Doom is being handled by Universal 1440 Entertainment, which makes non-theatrical productions directly for distribution. So, the new Doom may be direct-to-DVD or slapped straight on a digital platform such as Netflix. Read more… DOOM VFR PC Patch - January 30Jan 29, 2018 - Community AnnouncementsHey all, A new patch for DOOM VFR will be deployed on January 30 for PC. Here are the patch notes. Added Windows Mixed Reality headset support Added Smooth Locomotion control option Added Smooth Locomotion movement speed options Added Weapon Pitch option to adjust angle of weapon on controller Added option for Jump while using VR controllers with Smooth Movement on Added toggle for Dash when smooth movement is on Added Jump to Gamepad controller scheme Fixed an issue with discoloring seen on some HMDs Various bug fixes DOOM VFR PC Patch - January 30Jan 29, 2018 - Community AnnouncementsHey all, A new patch for DOOM VFR will be deployed on January 30 for PC. Here are the patch notes. Added Windows Mixed Reality headset support Added Smooth Locomotion control option Added Smooth Locomotion movement speed options Added Weapon Pitch option to adjust angle of weapon on controller Added option for Jump while using VR controllers with Smooth Movement on Added toggle for Dash when smooth movement is on Added Jump to Gamepad controller scheme Fixed an issue with discoloring seen on some HMDs Various bug fixes Virtual Reality is Failing with VR Editions of Popular Games such as Doom and L.A. Noire Bringing in Less Than 100 Concurrent Players on SteamDec 18, 2017 - GitHypWhen the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift launched in 2016, virtual reality seemed to be the future of gaming. But as those who've purchased pricey VR platforms can tell you, despite the revolutionary tech, there's not much in terms of new games to help justify making the plunge on new hardware.
Therein lies the catch-22 situation that VR is currently finding itself in. Even after being discounted by $200, most gamers still aren’t willing to pay $400-$600 for hardware that lacks big new IPs and requires an expensive PC to play. And the industry's top game publishers also aren't willing to invest heavily in developing big new IPs for such a small audience of current VR owners.
Thankfully for early adopters, after well over a year since the launch of the Oculus and Vive, we're finally seeing triple-A devs attempting to bring their popular franchises to VR... sadly, the results aren't looking good for the future of VR... at least not in its current form.
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Doom VFR's Players per Hour on Steam via GitHyp[/caption]
This month, Bethesda Softworks and Rockstar Games both released new VR versions for some of their most iconic triple-A titles. Comparing the peak player counts of the original versions to the new VR remakes shows just how small the VR player base currently is after its stagnant growth in 2017.
Doom VFR's December 2nd launch brought in a disappointing peak of 277 concurrent players. And after only two weeks, its average has already dropped to under 50 players an hour -- at times even as low as 7 players. Back when the non-VR version of Doom launched in May 2016, Bethesda's shooter peaked at 31k players on Steam and it still pulls in over 2k concurrent players on the weekends.
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L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files' Players per Hour on Steam via GitHyp[/caption]
L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files' launch was even worse peaking at only 110 players over the weekend. The original version came out back in 2011, before GitHyp started tracking player counts, so its true all-time peak on Steam is unavailable. But for comparison, Rockstar’s crime-solving take on a '40s Los Angeles still manages to pull in peaks as high as 1.6k players while their modern take, Grand Theft Auto V, remains in Steam’s daily top 5 games pulling in over 100k concurrent players.
Bethesda's other big launch this month, Fallout 4 VR, was much more successful becoming the most popular VR game ever on Steam with a peak of 2,608 players. But that number was only enough to place the post-apocalyptic role-playing game at #72 on Steam's list of most played that day. And that peak is nothing compared to the original Fallout 4's all-time high of 472k players when it launched in October 2016.
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Fallout 4 VR's Players per Hour on Steam via GitHyp[/caption]
Becoming the new record holder for most played VR game on Steam wasn’t a difficult task for Bethesda considering that no other VR game has ever broken a thousand concurrent players. Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality has been the only game to come close with a peak of 920 players – which doubled the dev’s previous most played game, Job Simulator, and helped Owlchemy Labs get acquired by Google this year for an undisclosed amount.
Even popular mobile games that have made the jump to VR have not found much success on Steam. Fruit Ninja has well over 100 million downloads on the App Store and Google Play, but Fruit Ninja VR’s all-time peak on Steam was only 85 players. And to date, the fruit-slasher has only been played slightly more than a quarter million times in VR since July 2016.
With such small player bases for VR games, it’s unlikely that the industry’s top publishers will be able to justify investing heavily in the development of exciting new VR experiences. If anything, we’ll just continue to see more VR editions released after gamers have already beat the original versions and the hype has died down. Which won't help sell more VR units and is sad to think about; because as anyone who has ever tried the Rift or Vive can tell you, it’s an experience unlike anything else in gaming.Doom VFR is more like visiting an interactive Doom exhibit than playing DoomDec 4, 2017 - PC GamerWhen I heard a Doom game was coming to VR I just couldn't picture it. I associate Doom, both the original and the 2016 version, with speed. Slippery fast speed, racing and strafing and sliding all over the damn place like a greased lighting bolt on rocket-powered hockey skates. I just couldn't imagine the Doom experience would translate into VR, which I tend to associate with a slow, deliberate, tentative pace. Of course, it doesn't translate. It simply can't. The speed of a keyboard and mouse can't be poured into a standing human being wearing a heavy tethered headset and holding two controllers. That doesn't mean Doom VFR (I assume you know what the F stands for) is bad. It's actually pretty cool. It's just a completely different experience from playing Doom as we know it. It's more like visiting an interactive Doom exhibit (a good one) at a museum or a riding a Doom theme park ride (a cool one). It's the gross and glorious sights and sounds of Doom, but it's not really Doom, and somehow immersing myself in its virtual world winds up making me feel somewhat removed from it. To be clear, Doom VFR isn't a direct transfer of Doom into VR, it's a new episode taking place in the Doom universe and starring someone else. Rather than diving immediately into the action, VFR gives you a nice long adjustment period and plenty of training (though it probably makes you stand motionless a bit too long letting you listen to the narration of your surprisingly chatty non-Doomguy character). Demons have invaded your lab (surprise!) and you must make excursions to various sections of the facility to restore power, retrieve items, gain access to locked rooms, and get things up and running again. Each trip throws a bunch of monsters in your path as you travel the corridors and chambers, culminating in a big arena battle at the end of each mission. There are two ways to move around: by teleporting, which involves aiming a beam to the spot you want to appear, and by 'dashing', which gives you a little hop frontwards or backwards, left or right. With some practice it begins to feel mostly normal (if not intuitive) but it never feels anything remotely speedy, smooth, or kinetic. I really wish there was an option to just move in VFR, as if walking, even if it was a bit slow and measured. I know there are issues simulating motion in VR (it makes some people extremely ill), but for those of us lucky enough to be unaffected by motion sickness it would be a welcome option. (For example, I played a little downhill skiing slash jetpack flying game in VR this weekend and the fast movement felt just fine in VR, even though I was standing still.) Doom's weapons are extremely cool in VR: there's something awesome about holding the massive (yet weightless) chaingun and gauss cannon in your hands, turning them over, inspecting them, and watching their animations as they fire. It's just neat. T...Doom VFR is out now, so here are the system requirementsNov 30, 2017 - PC GamerI played a bit of Doom VFR last week at a preview event, and while it was on a PSVR and not the Vive, it was pretty fun. The return of telefragging is especially great: in VR, you're teleporting into ailing enemies in order to get the glory kill. Brutal, almost nauseatingly violent, but hey: that's video games. Doom VFR is out right now, so you can go ahead and telefrag until your heart is content (or at least, until your stomach tells you to stop). It's not just a VR version of the 2016 title, but instead a newly designed version intended to cater to VR's strengths and weaknesses. But will you be able to run it? Well, you'll need at least a 1070. Here are the minimum and maximum specs: MINIMUM: OS: Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit versions) Processor: CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD FX 8350 or better Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 / AMD Radeon RX 480 or better Storage: 17 GB available space RECOMMENDED: OS: Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit versions) Processor: CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X Memory: 16 GB RAM Graphics: Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 / AMD RX Vega 64 Storage: 17 GB available space Now Available on Steam - DOOM VFRNov 30, 2017 - Product ReleaseDOOM VFR is Now Available on Steam! DOOM® VFR brings the fast-paced, brutal gameplay fans of the series love to virtual reality. Play as a cybernetic survivor who is activated by the UAC to fight the demon invasion, maintain order, and prevent catastrophic failure at the Mars facility. Room-deep in the dead: DOOM VFR out todayNov 30, 2017 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunLest 2017 didn’t already feel like the year in which everything happened all the time constantly, also joining the fray is Bethesda’s three-pronged attempt to adapt their biggest games into virtual reality. Skyrim VR is PS4 exclusive for now, Fallout VR arrives on Steam in a fortnight, and DOOM VFR – well, that’s today. Prepare for Cacovision. (more…) DOOM VFR - Release Time and FAQNov 29, 2017 - Community Announcementshttp://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/29138816/a1742af483712f14b92d4b33d2d80f510af85f3c.jpg It's DOOM VFR time! Below are the system requirements and FAQs for the game. For any technical issues that require help or assistance, we recommend reviewing the below FAQ, or reaching out to our customer support team directly for additional support at help.bethesda.net. Here are the system requirements for DOOM VFR: MINIMUM: OS: Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit versions) Processor: CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD FX 8350 or better Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 / AMD Radeon RX 480 or better Storage: 17 GB available space RECOMMENDED: OS: Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit versions) Processor: CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X Memory: 16 GB RAM Graphics: Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 / AMD RX Vega 64 Storage: 17 GB available space We also recommend reviewing the below FAQ for additional information that may be helpful before playing DOOM VFR. FAQ: When will DOOM VFR be available? DOOM VFR will be unlocked on Steam at 7pm ET on Thursday, November 30. What are the supported control schemes? DOOM VFR supports both motion controllers and a variety of control schemes: The Steam version of DOOM VFR supports HTC Vive controllers and gamepads. You can use a traditional gamepad to enable free movement, similar to the movement controls you experienced in DOOM (2016). The smooth turning option allows you to turn horizontally using the analog stick. You'll also be able to teleport, or enable burst movements to quickly rotate your view. The game also supports a 180 turn movement to allow you to quickly turn to defeat enemies behind you. What do I do if the Doom VFR Application closed down when I had to reboot my headset? This is a behavior of SteamVR. If you need to reboot your headset for any reason, make sure to hit a checkpoint first so you do not lose any of your game play. What do I do if DOOM VFR keeps crashing on my 2k / 4k monitor? If you have a 2k and a 4k resolution monitor connected and set as an extended display, the title will crash on boot if either of those monitors are set to 1080p. When you launch the game, the secondary monitor will flash for several seconds before the crash will occur. How do I switch back to the free throwing grenades instead of having to use the grenade launcher? Once you have chosen to pick up the Grenade Launcher you are not able go back to throwing grenades. Why doesn’t my desktop window default to any aspect ratio greater than 16:9 and 1920x1080 resolution? This is working as designed. The game was designed for the Head Mounted Display. What do I do if Eyefinity does not span across all monitors? Eyefinity is not supported or compatible with Doom VFR What do I do if I did not receive an end of level stat screen when I finished Advance Research Complex? There will not be an End of Level stat screen for this level. You must load into the next level before being able to Save and Exit...DOOM VFR - Release Time and FAQNov 29, 2017 - Community Announcementshttp://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/29138816/a1742af483712f14b92d4b33d2d80f510af85f3c.jpg It's DOOM VFR time! Below are the system requirements and FAQs for the game. For any technical issues that require help or assistance, we recommend reviewing the below FAQ, or reaching out to our customer support team directly for additional support at help.bethesda.net. Here are the system requirements for DOOM VFR: MINIMUM: OS: Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit versions) Processor: CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD FX 8350 or better Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 / AMD Radeon RX 480 or better Storage: 17 GB available space RECOMMENDED: OS: Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit versions) Processor: CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X Memory: 16 GB RAM Graphics: Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 / AMD RX Vega 64 Storage: 17 GB available space We also recommend reviewing the below FAQ for additional information that may be helpful before playing DOOM VFR. FAQ: When will DOOM VFR be available? DOOM VFR will be unlocked on Steam at 7pm ET on Thursday, November 30. What are the supported control schemes? DOOM VFR supports both motion controllers and a variety of control schemes: The Steam version of DOOM VFR supports HTC Vive controllers and gamepads. You can use a traditional gamepad to enable free movement, similar to the movement controls you experienced in DOOM (2016). The smooth turning option allows you to turn horizontally using the analog stick. You'll also be able to teleport, or enable burst movements to quickly rotate your view. The game also supports a 180 turn movement to allow you to quickly turn to defeat enemies behind you. What do I do if the Doom VFR Application closed down when I had to reboot my headset? This is a behavior of SteamVR. If you need to reboot your headset for any reason, make sure to hit a checkpoint first so you do not lose any of your game play. What do I do if DOOM VFR keeps crashing on my 2k / 4k monitor? If you have a 2k and a 4k resolution monitor connected and set as an extended display, the title will crash on boot if either of those monitors are set to 1080p. When you launch the game, the secondary monitor will flash for several seconds before the crash will occur. How do I switch back to the free throwing grenades instead of having to use the grenade launcher? Once you have chosen to pick up the Grenade Launcher you are not able go back to throwing grenades. Why doesn’t my desktop window default to any aspect ratio greater than 16:9 and 1920x1080 resolution? This is working as designed. The game was designed for the Head Mounted Display. What do I do if Eyefinity does not span across all monitors? Eyefinity is not supported or compatible with Doom VFR What do I do if I did not receive an end of level stat screen when I finished Advance Research Complex? There will not be an End of Level stat screen for this level. You must load into the next level before being able to Save and Exit...Bethesda s Hines on VR: It s something all of our studios are looking at and talking aboutSep 29, 2017 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunA couple of weeks back – when I also went hands-on with both Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus and The Evil Within 2 – I goggled up and gave the upcoming VR version of 2016’s Doom a spin, as well as bearing witness to other folks’ flailing and giggling in Skyrim VR and Fallout VR. Bethesda’s triptych of 3D ultravision spin-offs are due before the year is out, with Skyrim only available on PSVR at least initially and Fallout and Doom only officially supporting HTC Vive, for obvious reasons. Their arrival is a pretty big event for a technology that so far has leaned far more heavily on brand new things rather than established names. Curious about what this means for the technology and for Doom, Skyrim and Fallout, I picked Bethesda VP Pete Hine’s brains about the whys and wherefores, and what it might imply for the future of their own VR efforts. Also below: my own quick impressions of Doom VFR . (more…) Fallout, Doom, and Skyrim don't need VR, but Bethesda has bigger ideasAug 29, 2017 - PC GamerWe're still a ways out from VR becoming Mancubus-mainstream. I’m not an athletic man, but in Doom VFR, the upcoming VR version of 2016’s hit reincarnation of id’s classic shooter, I am Death Himself. As a possessed soldier tries to shoot me, I point a teleport marker and watch as everything slows down. I duck his bullets, teleport close, and shoot him in the face with a shotgun. After a few shots, a Mancubus starts to flash, indicating it's ready to be torn asunder. I point my cursor into the center of the Mancubus and release the trigger, teleporting myself into the center of the obese demon. The Mancubus explodes and his immense body sags to the floor, the corpse so large that I have to step out of the empty shell to move on with the fight. Clearly, VR is cool. But even for a relatively young technology, there have been very few major game releases for virtual reality headsets. It makes Bethesda’s all-in approach a confounding surprise, but by bringing Skyrim, Fallout, and Doom to VR, the company is in a good position to change the pace. In associating some of the biggest names in gaming to VR, Bethesda is trying to set itself up as a leader in VR development, build its own internal expertise, and help jumpstart a technology that has grown in fits and starts. “If you believe something is going to be big, you can't just say, ‘oh, this will be big in six or eight years, so let's ignore it until it's big, and then we'll jump on the bandwagon,’” Doom VRF executive producer Marty Stratton tells me at Quakecon this year. “There's so much to be learned, and there's so many opportunities to be leaders. We want to be technical innovators, so when we see something we believe in, we want to be at the forefront.” Of the three VR prototypes heading for release this fall, Doom is by far the best. The closed-in spaces of the UAC’s corridors look sleek and sci-fi inside a VR headset, and teleporting up and down hallways to blast imps and shotgun cacodemons feels spectacular, fast, and smooth. Time slows for teleportation or switching weapons, so I always felt able to react faster and be more badass than my weak, fleshy mortal body could ever allow. No matter which weapons I used, pulling the trigger of the controller felt as natural as aiming down the sights. Shooting for the Skyrim Sadly, all of these reasons are exactly why Skyrim VR, which is coming to PSVR first in November and PC sometime in 2018, is the weakest of the bunch. The wide-open vistas of Skyrim look pixelated and low-res running on the Playstation headset, and the 180-degree motion detection of the PSVR meant that I had to constantly use physical buttons on my controller to rotate myself and change direction. Descending one of a Skyrim dungeon’s many spiral staircases was dizzying as I used a teleport button to hop down a step or two, then tap-tap-tap-tap-tap to rotate m...Doom VFR Q&A explains how playing a scientist will be just as violent as DoomguyAug 22, 2017 - PC GamerGoing from the bloodthirsty Doomguy to a scientist in Doom VFR might sound a bit like a downgrade, but as the developers point out in the new Q&A video above, you’ll get to possess heavily-armed robots and teleport, so if anything it might be an upgrade. That aforementioned scientist is Doctor Peters, one of the team tasked with creating the iconic BFG. Peters dies, but his consciousness lives on inside the computer system, for some reason, which allows him to take control of a variety of machines, including vehicles and even Doomguy's Praetor suit. As Peters, you’ll still largely be spending your time murdering demons, but there’s hacking and lockpicking and fixing up machines too. I’m not sure that really fits the typical pace of a Doom game, but teleportation is there to speed things up. There’s a dash, but blinking between places is how you’ll be doing most of your travelling. It’s a standalone experience as well, say the devs. You’ll be hitting up areas that might be familiar to you if you’ve played Doom before, but it’s not necessary, and new locations will be introduced too. Doom VFR is due out later this year. Bethesda explains the 'F' in Doom VFRJun 15, 2017 - PC GamerBethesda announced Doom VFR at its pre-E3 press as a VR shooter for the Vive and PlayStation VR, set for release later this year. But there was something obviously odd about the title. It's virtual reality Doom, so... what's the "F?" In retrospect, I suppose that makes perfect sense. For those of you unfamiliar with what the "F" in "BFG" stands for, BioWare's Mike Laidlaw explained. And now you know. Bethesda didn't reveal any more details about Doom VFR at E3, but it's available for pre-purchase now on Steam for $30/£20/€30. We've also got a handy round-up of all the games we did see at E3 right here. Every PC game announced or trailered at E3 2017Jun 13, 2017 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunEach year E3 rolls around like a giant evil worm, crushing all that’s good and pure. BUT that worm also announces lots of exciting gaming news as it wreaks its carnage upon the Earth. Here we have gathered every announcement, reveal, and exciting new trailer that emerged from the barrage of screamed press conferences over the last few days. And lots of it looks rather spiffy. A rather enormous 47 PC games were either announced, revealed, or updated upon, with new trailers, information, and released dates that will all be missed by at least three months. We’ve collected the lot, with trailers, in alphabetical order, into one neat place, just for you. … Bethesda jack in for Doom VFR and Fallout 4 VR this yearJun 12, 2017 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunThe promised VR version of Fallout 4 will arrive in October for Vive cybergoggs, Bethesda announced during last night’s E3-o-rama. Curiously, Fallout 4 VR is a separate game rather than an update or add-on – one which will cost twice as much as regular Fallout 4 does. Bethesda also formally announced Doom VFR , a standalone Doom game made expressly for VR. This is a new game rather than a refit of 2016’s game, a new Doom first-person monster-mash. Have a look in this trailer: …
Doom VFR's Players per Hour on Steam via GitHyp[/caption]
This month, Bethesda Softworks and Rockstar Games both released new VR versions for some of their most iconic triple-A titles. Comparing the peak player counts of the original versions to the new VR remakes shows just how small the VR player base currently is after its stagnant growth in 2017.
Doom VFR's December 2nd launch brought in a disappointing peak of 277 concurrent players. And after only two weeks, its average has already dropped to under 50 players an hour -- at times even as low as 7 players. Back when the non-VR version of Doom launched in May 2016, Bethesda's shooter peaked at 31k players on Steam and it still pulls in over 2k concurrent players on the weekends.
[caption id="attachment_311528" align="aligncenter" width="786"] L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files' Players per Hour on Steam via GitHyp[/caption]
L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files' launch was even worse peaking at only 110 players over the weekend. The original version came out back in 2011, before GitHyp started tracking player counts, so its true all-time peak on Steam is unavailable. But for comparison, Rockstar’s crime-solving take on a '40s Los Angeles still manages to pull in peaks as high as 1.6k players while their modern take, Grand Theft Auto V, remains in Steam’s daily top 5 games pulling in over 100k concurrent players.
Bethesda's other big launch this month, Fallout 4 VR, was much more successful becoming the most popular VR game ever on Steam with a peak of 2,608 players. But that number was only enough to place the post-apocalyptic role-playing game at #72 on Steam's list of most played that day. And that peak is nothing compared to the original Fallout 4's all-time high of 472k players when it launched in October 2016.
[caption id="attachment_311529" align="aligncenter" width="786"] Fallout 4 VR's Players per Hour on Steam via GitHyp[/caption]
Becoming the new record holder for most played VR game on Steam wasn’t a difficult task for Bethesda considering that no other VR game has ever broken a thousand concurrent players. Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality has been the only game to come close with a peak of 920 players – which doubled the dev’s previous most played game, Job Simulator, and helped Owlchemy Labs get acquired by Google this year for an undisclosed amount.
Even popular mobile games that have made the jump to VR have not found much success on Steam. Fruit Ninja has well over 100 million downloads on the App Store and Google Play, but Fruit Ninja VR’s all-time peak on Steam was only 85 players. And to date, the fruit-slasher has only been played slightly more than a quarter million times in VR since July 2016.
With such small player bases for VR games, it’s unlikely that the industry’s top publishers will be able to justify investing heavily in the development of exciting new VR experiences. If anything, we’ll just continue to see more VR editions released after gamers have already beat the original versions and the hype has died down. Which won't help sell more VR units and is sad to think about; because as anyone who has ever tried the Rift or Vive can tell you, it’s an experience unlike anything else in gaming.Doom VFR is more like visiting an interactive Doom exhibit than playing DoomDec 4, 2017 - PC GamerWhen I heard a Doom game was coming to VR I just couldn't picture it. I associate Doom, both the original and the 2016 version, with speed. Slippery fast speed, racing and strafing and sliding all over the damn place like a greased lighting bolt on rocket-powered hockey skates. I just couldn't imagine the Doom experience would translate into VR, which I tend to associate with a slow, deliberate, tentative pace. Of course, it doesn't translate. It simply can't. The speed of a keyboard and mouse can't be poured into a standing human being wearing a heavy tethered headset and holding two controllers. That doesn't mean Doom VFR (I assume you know what the F stands for) is bad. It's actually pretty cool. It's just a completely different experience from playing Doom as we know it. It's more like visiting an interactive Doom exhibit (a good one) at a museum or a riding a Doom theme park ride (a cool one). It's the gross and glorious sights and sounds of Doom, but it's not really Doom, and somehow immersing myself in its virtual world winds up making me feel somewhat removed from it. To be clear, Doom VFR isn't a direct transfer of Doom into VR, it's a new episode taking place in the Doom universe and starring someone else. Rather than diving immediately into the action, VFR gives you a nice long adjustment period and plenty of training (though it probably makes you stand motionless a bit too long letting you listen to the narration of your surprisingly chatty non-Doomguy character). Demons have invaded your lab (surprise!) and you must make excursions to various sections of the facility to restore power, retrieve items, gain access to locked rooms, and get things up and running again. Each trip throws a bunch of monsters in your path as you travel the corridors and chambers, culminating in a big arena battle at the end of each mission. There are two ways to move around: by teleporting, which involves aiming a beam to the spot you want to appear, and by 'dashing', which gives you a little hop frontwards or backwards, left or right. With some practice it begins to feel mostly normal (if not intuitive) but it never feels anything remotely speedy, smooth, or kinetic. I really wish there was an option to just move in VFR, as if walking, even if it was a bit slow and measured. I know there are issues simulating motion in VR (it makes some people extremely ill), but for those of us lucky enough to be unaffected by motion sickness it would be a welcome option. (For example, I played a little downhill skiing slash jetpack flying game in VR this weekend and the fast movement felt just fine in VR, even though I was standing still.) Doom's weapons are extremely cool in VR: there's something awesome about holding the massive (yet weightless) chaingun and gauss cannon in your hands, turning them over, inspecting them, and watching their animations as they fire. It's just neat. T...Doom VFR is out now, so here are the system requirementsNov 30, 2017 - PC GamerI played a bit of Doom VFR last week at a preview event, and while it was on a PSVR and not the Vive, it was pretty fun. The return of telefragging is especially great: in VR, you're teleporting into ailing enemies in order to get the glory kill. Brutal, almost nauseatingly violent, but hey: that's video games. Doom VFR is out right now, so you can go ahead and telefrag until your heart is content (or at least, until your stomach tells you to stop). It's not just a VR version of the 2016 title, but instead a newly designed version intended to cater to VR's strengths and weaknesses. But will you be able to run it? Well, you'll need at least a 1070. Here are the minimum and maximum specs: MINIMUM: OS: Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit versions) Processor: CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD FX 8350 or better Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 / AMD Radeon RX 480 or better Storage: 17 GB available space RECOMMENDED: OS: Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit versions) Processor: CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X Memory: 16 GB RAM Graphics: Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 / AMD RX Vega 64 Storage: 17 GB available space Now Available on Steam - DOOM VFRNov 30, 2017 - Product ReleaseDOOM VFR is Now Available on Steam! DOOM® VFR brings the fast-paced, brutal gameplay fans of the series love to virtual reality. Play as a cybernetic survivor who is activated by the UAC to fight the demon invasion, maintain order, and prevent catastrophic failure at the Mars facility. Room-deep in the dead: DOOM VFR out todayNov 30, 2017 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunLest 2017 didn’t already feel like the year in which everything happened all the time constantly, also joining the fray is Bethesda’s three-pronged attempt to adapt their biggest games into virtual reality. Skyrim VR is PS4 exclusive for now, Fallout VR arrives on Steam in a fortnight, and DOOM VFR – well, that’s today. Prepare for Cacovision. (more…) DOOM VFR - Release Time and FAQNov 29, 2017 - Community Announcementshttp://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/29138816/a1742af483712f14b92d4b33d2d80f510af85f3c.jpg It's DOOM VFR time! Below are the system requirements and FAQs for the game. For any technical issues that require help or assistance, we recommend reviewing the below FAQ, or reaching out to our customer support team directly for additional support at help.bethesda.net. Here are the system requirements for DOOM VFR: MINIMUM: OS: Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit versions) Processor: CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD FX 8350 or better Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 / AMD Radeon RX 480 or better Storage: 17 GB available space RECOMMENDED: OS: Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit versions) Processor: CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X Memory: 16 GB RAM Graphics: Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 / AMD RX Vega 64 Storage: 17 GB available space We also recommend reviewing the below FAQ for additional information that may be helpful before playing DOOM VFR. FAQ: When will DOOM VFR be available? DOOM VFR will be unlocked on Steam at 7pm ET on Thursday, November 30. What are the supported control schemes? DOOM VFR supports both motion controllers and a variety of control schemes: The Steam version of DOOM VFR supports HTC Vive controllers and gamepads. You can use a traditional gamepad to enable free movement, similar to the movement controls you experienced in DOOM (2016). The smooth turning option allows you to turn horizontally using the analog stick. You'll also be able to teleport, or enable burst movements to quickly rotate your view. The game also supports a 180 turn movement to allow you to quickly turn to defeat enemies behind you. What do I do if the Doom VFR Application closed down when I had to reboot my headset? This is a behavior of SteamVR. If you need to reboot your headset for any reason, make sure to hit a checkpoint first so you do not lose any of your game play. What do I do if DOOM VFR keeps crashing on my 2k / 4k monitor? If you have a 2k and a 4k resolution monitor connected and set as an extended display, the title will crash on boot if either of those monitors are set to 1080p. When you launch the game, the secondary monitor will flash for several seconds before the crash will occur. How do I switch back to the free throwing grenades instead of having to use the grenade launcher? Once you have chosen to pick up the Grenade Launcher you are not able go back to throwing grenades. Why doesn’t my desktop window default to any aspect ratio greater than 16:9 and 1920x1080 resolution? This is working as designed. The game was designed for the Head Mounted Display. What do I do if Eyefinity does not span across all monitors? Eyefinity is not supported or compatible with Doom VFR What do I do if I did not receive an end of level stat screen when I finished Advance Research Complex? There will not be an End of Level stat screen for this level. You must load into the next level before being able to Save and Exit...DOOM VFR - Release Time and FAQNov 29, 2017 - Community Announcementshttp://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/29138816/a1742af483712f14b92d4b33d2d80f510af85f3c.jpg It's DOOM VFR time! Below are the system requirements and FAQs for the game. For any technical issues that require help or assistance, we recommend reviewing the below FAQ, or reaching out to our customer support team directly for additional support at help.bethesda.net. Here are the system requirements for DOOM VFR: MINIMUM: OS: Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit versions) Processor: CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD FX 8350 or better Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 / AMD Radeon RX 480 or better Storage: 17 GB available space RECOMMENDED: OS: Windows 7/8.1/10 (64-bit versions) Processor: CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X Memory: 16 GB RAM Graphics: Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 / AMD RX Vega 64 Storage: 17 GB available space We also recommend reviewing the below FAQ for additional information that may be helpful before playing DOOM VFR. FAQ: When will DOOM VFR be available? DOOM VFR will be unlocked on Steam at 7pm ET on Thursday, November 30. What are the supported control schemes? DOOM VFR supports both motion controllers and a variety of control schemes: The Steam version of DOOM VFR supports HTC Vive controllers and gamepads. You can use a traditional gamepad to enable free movement, similar to the movement controls you experienced in DOOM (2016). The smooth turning option allows you to turn horizontally using the analog stick. You'll also be able to teleport, or enable burst movements to quickly rotate your view. The game also supports a 180 turn movement to allow you to quickly turn to defeat enemies behind you. What do I do if the Doom VFR Application closed down when I had to reboot my headset? This is a behavior of SteamVR. If you need to reboot your headset for any reason, make sure to hit a checkpoint first so you do not lose any of your game play. What do I do if DOOM VFR keeps crashing on my 2k / 4k monitor? If you have a 2k and a 4k resolution monitor connected and set as an extended display, the title will crash on boot if either of those monitors are set to 1080p. When you launch the game, the secondary monitor will flash for several seconds before the crash will occur. How do I switch back to the free throwing grenades instead of having to use the grenade launcher? Once you have chosen to pick up the Grenade Launcher you are not able go back to throwing grenades. Why doesn’t my desktop window default to any aspect ratio greater than 16:9 and 1920x1080 resolution? This is working as designed. The game was designed for the Head Mounted Display. What do I do if Eyefinity does not span across all monitors? Eyefinity is not supported or compatible with Doom VFR What do I do if I did not receive an end of level stat screen when I finished Advance Research Complex? There will not be an End of Level stat screen for this level. You must load into the next level before being able to Save and Exit...Bethesda s Hines on VR: It s something all of our studios are looking at and talking aboutSep 29, 2017 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunA couple of weeks back – when I also went hands-on with both Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus and The Evil Within 2 – I goggled up and gave the upcoming VR version of 2016’s Doom a spin, as well as bearing witness to other folks’ flailing and giggling in Skyrim VR and Fallout VR. Bethesda’s triptych of 3D ultravision spin-offs are due before the year is out, with Skyrim only available on PSVR at least initially and Fallout and Doom only officially supporting HTC Vive, for obvious reasons. Their arrival is a pretty big event for a technology that so far has leaned far more heavily on brand new things rather than established names. Curious about what this means for the technology and for Doom, Skyrim and Fallout, I picked Bethesda VP Pete Hine’s brains about the whys and wherefores, and what it might imply for the future of their own VR efforts. Also below: my own quick impressions of Doom VFR . (more…) Fallout, Doom, and Skyrim don't need VR, but Bethesda has bigger ideasAug 29, 2017 - PC GamerWe're still a ways out from VR becoming Mancubus-mainstream. I’m not an athletic man, but in Doom VFR, the upcoming VR version of 2016’s hit reincarnation of id’s classic shooter, I am Death Himself. As a possessed soldier tries to shoot me, I point a teleport marker and watch as everything slows down. I duck his bullets, teleport close, and shoot him in the face with a shotgun. After a few shots, a Mancubus starts to flash, indicating it's ready to be torn asunder. I point my cursor into the center of the Mancubus and release the trigger, teleporting myself into the center of the obese demon. The Mancubus explodes and his immense body sags to the floor, the corpse so large that I have to step out of the empty shell to move on with the fight. Clearly, VR is cool. But even for a relatively young technology, there have been very few major game releases for virtual reality headsets. It makes Bethesda’s all-in approach a confounding surprise, but by bringing Skyrim, Fallout, and Doom to VR, the company is in a good position to change the pace. In associating some of the biggest names in gaming to VR, Bethesda is trying to set itself up as a leader in VR development, build its own internal expertise, and help jumpstart a technology that has grown in fits and starts. “If you believe something is going to be big, you can't just say, ‘oh, this will be big in six or eight years, so let's ignore it until it's big, and then we'll jump on the bandwagon,’” Doom VRF executive producer Marty Stratton tells me at Quakecon this year. “There's so much to be learned, and there's so many opportunities to be leaders. We want to be technical innovators, so when we see something we believe in, we want to be at the forefront.” Of the three VR prototypes heading for release this fall, Doom is by far the best. The closed-in spaces of the UAC’s corridors look sleek and sci-fi inside a VR headset, and teleporting up and down hallways to blast imps and shotgun cacodemons feels spectacular, fast, and smooth. Time slows for teleportation or switching weapons, so I always felt able to react faster and be more badass than my weak, fleshy mortal body could ever allow. No matter which weapons I used, pulling the trigger of the controller felt as natural as aiming down the sights. Shooting for the Skyrim Sadly, all of these reasons are exactly why Skyrim VR, which is coming to PSVR first in November and PC sometime in 2018, is the weakest of the bunch. The wide-open vistas of Skyrim look pixelated and low-res running on the Playstation headset, and the 180-degree motion detection of the PSVR meant that I had to constantly use physical buttons on my controller to rotate myself and change direction. Descending one of a Skyrim dungeon’s many spiral staircases was dizzying as I used a teleport button to hop down a step or two, then tap-tap-tap-tap-tap to rotate m...Doom VFR Q&A explains how playing a scientist will be just as violent as DoomguyAug 22, 2017 - PC GamerGoing from the bloodthirsty Doomguy to a scientist in Doom VFR might sound a bit like a downgrade, but as the developers point out in the new Q&A video above, you’ll get to possess heavily-armed robots and teleport, so if anything it might be an upgrade. That aforementioned scientist is Doctor Peters, one of the team tasked with creating the iconic BFG. Peters dies, but his consciousness lives on inside the computer system, for some reason, which allows him to take control of a variety of machines, including vehicles and even Doomguy's Praetor suit. As Peters, you’ll still largely be spending your time murdering demons, but there’s hacking and lockpicking and fixing up machines too. I’m not sure that really fits the typical pace of a Doom game, but teleportation is there to speed things up. There’s a dash, but blinking between places is how you’ll be doing most of your travelling. It’s a standalone experience as well, say the devs. You’ll be hitting up areas that might be familiar to you if you’ve played Doom before, but it’s not necessary, and new locations will be introduced too. Doom VFR is due out later this year. Bethesda explains the 'F' in Doom VFRJun 15, 2017 - PC GamerBethesda announced Doom VFR at its pre-E3 press as a VR shooter for the Vive and PlayStation VR, set for release later this year. But there was something obviously odd about the title. It's virtual reality Doom, so... what's the "F?" In retrospect, I suppose that makes perfect sense. For those of you unfamiliar with what the "F" in "BFG" stands for, BioWare's Mike Laidlaw explained. And now you know. Bethesda didn't reveal any more details about Doom VFR at E3, but it's available for pre-purchase now on Steam for $30/£20/€30. We've also got a handy round-up of all the games we did see at E3 right here. Every PC game announced or trailered at E3 2017Jun 13, 2017 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunEach year E3 rolls around like a giant evil worm, crushing all that’s good and pure. BUT that worm also announces lots of exciting gaming news as it wreaks its carnage upon the Earth. Here we have gathered every announcement, reveal, and exciting new trailer that emerged from the barrage of screamed press conferences over the last few days. And lots of it looks rather spiffy. A rather enormous 47 PC games were either announced, revealed, or updated upon, with new trailers, information, and released dates that will all be missed by at least three months. We’ve collected the lot, with trailers, in alphabetical order, into one neat place, just for you. … Bethesda jack in for Doom VFR and Fallout 4 VR this yearJun 12, 2017 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunThe promised VR version of Fallout 4 will arrive in October for Vive cybergoggs, Bethesda announced during last night’s E3-o-rama. Curiously, Fallout 4 VR is a separate game rather than an update or add-on – one which will cost twice as much as regular Fallout 4 does. Bethesda also formally announced Doom VFR , a standalone Doom game made expressly for VR. This is a new game rather than a refit of 2016’s game, a new Doom first-person monster-mash. Have a look in this trailer: …
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